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Grand Banks Showed Off Its New Flagship GB85 at Cannes Yachting Festival

Last week’s Cannes Yachting Festival was the perfect scene for the European debut of Grand Banks’s new 85-foot (26-meter) flagship. The new yacht is an important milestone for the renowned American shipbuilder, marking its entrance into the megayacht world.
Grand Banks' 85-foot mini-megayacht 28 photos
Photo: Grand Banks Yachts
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Over the years, Grand Banks has become a name synonymous with elegance and luxury, and though the GB85 is positioned at the lower end of the megayacht category, everything about it feels bigger and more substantial. Actually, the yacht delivers on all the promises the yard made when it initially revealed the project.

Combining the best characteristics of trawlers and motoryachts, the GB85 was built on an extended version of the company’s proprietary V-Warp hull and measures 87,2 feet in overall length (26 meters), with a 22.2-foot (6.75-meter) beam and 4.11-foot (1.5-meter) draft.

Designed by Grand Banks’ CEO Mark Richards in collaboration with naval architect Andy Dovell, the mini-megayacht features the brand’s characteristic sharp lines all over its exterior design.

The hull is lighter and stronger, being made of vacuum-infused E-Glass with carbon fiber in the structural areas, combined with Corecell and Airex foam, multi-axial fabric, and 100% vinylester resins at the core. Meanwhile, the deck and superstructure employ fully-infused carbon fiber.

Grand Banks' 85\-foot mini\-megayacht
Photo: Grand Banks Yachts
The vessel features a spacious cockpit where the owners could entertain up to 20 guests. Nevertheless, the new motor yacht is not just bigger than other builds coming from Grand Banks but also one of the best performing in its class.

“The GB85 is not simply a bigger Grand Banks. True, this exquisite, long-distance cruiser is the largest yacht we’ve ever built. But her most impressive statistics are not to be found in her dimensions, but in the best-in-class figures we’re recording for her fuel efficiency and range. That’s where you will indeed find a big difference!” the company notes on its website.

The vessel takes power from two Volvo Penta IPS 1350s diesel engines that deliver 1,000 hp (1,012.8 ps) each. Twin 1,300 hp (1318 ps) 8-cylinder MAN engines with V-drives will be available as an option.

According to Grand Banks, the Volvo pods will endow the GB85 with a top cruising speed of 20 knots (23 mph/37 kph), while the 2,640-gallon fuel capacity will allow a nearly 1,000-mile (1,609 km) range. At 10 knots (11.5 mph/18.5 kph), the range will extend to 3,000 miles (4,828 km).

The engines are housed in separate compartments, allowing for more elbow room and easy access when in need of maintenance and repairs.

Grand Banks' 85\-foot mini\-megayacht
Photo: Grand Banks Yachts
Moving on to the interior, the generous volume inside is definitely the result of the exterior design choices. The GB85 will be available with custom-designed layouts to better fit the needs of every client.

Offered with either an open flybridge or an enclosed, climate-controlled sky lounge, the vessel includes plenty of living and lounging areas built with a focus on sociability and privacy. As such, the yacht features a spacious salon with large windows that allow natural light to get in and provide beautiful views of the ocean.

Potential clients can also choose between a three- or four-stateroom layout. The four-cabin configuration can accommodate up to nine passengers, while the one centered around a big master stateroom will provide more intimacy and luxury to the owners.

For those who go with the enclosed flybridge variant, the flybridge lounge serves as a second salon. The yacht’s helm can also be found in this space, featuring a comfortable bench seat for the captain and a guest.

The vessel boasts some modern touches as well, among which it’s worth mentioning the lifting aft platform with stairs, which can also be lowered into the water. It’s an ideal place to sip your coffee in the morning or for a late-afternoon cocktail.

There is also an enclosed toy garage situated in between the two engine rooms, which could accommodate whatever the owner fancies for their ocean adventures, from seabobs and kayaks to stand-up paddle boards and scuba tanks.
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About the author: Ancuta Iosub
Ancuta Iosub profile photo

After spending a few years as a copy editor, Ancuta decided to put down the eraser and pick up the writer's pencil. Her favorites subjects are unusual car designs, travel trailers and everything related to the great outdoors.
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